THERE was a mixed reaction from Gold One Mine after all miners who had been underground since Sunday, 22 October, were released in Springs, Ekurhuleni, on Wednesday, 25 October.
They were happy to be reunited with their families.
The mineworkers spent three days underground after they were allegedly held hostage by Amcu members.
They described the three days underground as horrible. Some looked frail and could not walk properly.
Daily Sun spoke to some mineworkers who asked not to be named, and they said they were held against their will.
One of the mineworkers, aged 43, said: “Everything was okay when we started the night shift on Sunday, but to our surprise, on Monday, we were not allowed to leave and were held hostage underground.
“Some people were assaulted with sticks, and we had to stay without food and only drank water.”
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Another worker said: “This was a horrible experience. We understand there's a dispute between NUM and Amcu, but sadly, we had to be the victims. We want change, but the way things were done was not right. Our rights were violated."
Another worker, aged 38, said she was held against her will.
“They didn’t want to leave and said we must wait for Amcu officials who will come to us. I feel bad that I stayed underground for three days.” Another miner said he was happy to be out of the hole.
“I want change in the mine because we have families. We were fighting for our rights, but staying underground without eating was the worst," he said.
